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Republican hopefuls debate OLF
By Jimmy Ryals, Special to the Daily News
WINTERVILLE -- Pitt Community College hosted a forum for Republican gubernatorial candidates Saturday night, but the event had the distinct flavor of Beaufort and Washington counties.
Aside from the presence of a number of prominent Beaufort County party members in the audience, the lengthy question-and-answer period of the forum opened with a question about the Navy's proposed outlying landing field to be placed in Washington County.
Reaction to the four candidates -- Dan Barrett, a Davie County commissioner and attorney, George Little, a businessman and former state official, N.C. Sen. Fern Shubert and Richard Vinroot, a former Charlotte mayor and 2000 Republican nominee -- was mixed on the OLF issue.
The four, along with N.C. Sen. Patrick Ballantine, former state party chairman Bill Cobey and Timothy Cooke, a textile chemist, are running to succeed Gov. Mike Easley.
Vinroot and Little offered guarded support for the present OLF plan. According to Little, the OLF should be built "unless it provides a threat to the environment or public safety."
Both men indicated they would like more information about the OLF. Little said his first exposure to the OLF as a political issue came at this month's Beaufort County Republican Convention.
Shubert drew applause with her skepticism, saying Gov. Mike Easley should get involved and "not assume bureaucrats got it right."
Barrett expressed a desire to see more evidence from the Navy with consideration of a "balance of interests" on either side of the OLF debate.
Several other hot issues were debated, including sparking the North Carolina economy, immigration, a potential lottery and education.
On the economy, all four sounded similar notes: the need for lower corporate and individual taxes, fewer regulations and a renewed focus on small business as North Carolina's economic development engine.
"The problem isn't as much what government needs to do as what government needs to stop doing," Shubert said.
"When you add it all together, we're number one in the wrong thing -- taxation," Vinroot added.
Little pledged to veto any law that is not pro-business, calling North Carolina "the most unfriendly state in the South (to businesses)."
Vinroot went beyond recommending tax reductions. The hopeful said, as governor, he would work to eliminate corporate taxes for manufacturers.
Although the issue was not presented by moderator and WNCT anchor Alan Hoffman, Barrett spoke against same-sex marriage.
"There will not be same-sex marriages in North Carolina if I'm governor," Barrett said.
The other three candidates followed suit.
All four candidates personally oppose a lottery, but Little and Vinroot said the matter should be put to a referendum.
"I personally believe the lottery to be bad policy, but the people of this state want to vote on it," Little said. "I am not afraid of referendums."
Barrett believes a lottery is unnecessary.
"Give me four years to balance this budget using the same common-sense principles you use, and the lottery won't be nearly as big an issue," he said.
Shubert and Barrett both argued for greater local control of education policy. Shubert went a step further, advocating a strong role for parents and teachers, over administrators.
"I believe the people who know the names of the children know better [what they need] than the people trying to keep a $100,000 salary," she said.
Little, a former president of the National Association of Community College Trustees, specifically addressed the need to fund community colleges. He tied funding for community colleges to economic development.
All four candidates voiced support for school choice, although they differed on the effectiveness of vouchers in providing it. Shubert favors a tuition tax credit to help parents pay for non-public education.
"I like the idea of forcing the system to keep our students through competition," Vinroot said.
Responding to an audience question about illegal immigrants, the candidates split into distinct camps. Barrett and Little both said current laws need stricter enforcement, while Shubert and Vinroot favor toughening immigration laws.
A sizable contingent of Washington and Beaufort County residents was in the audience. Some of them see the OLF as the dominant issue in this year's campaign.
Audience member Doris Morris, of Washington County, said she was alarmed by how uninformed she felt Little and Vinroot were on the issue. Morris said the OLF would probably be the primary issue she considers when voting.
Travis Russ, also of Washington County, took exception to Vinroot's opinion that lotteries are immoral.
"For heaven's sakes, let's don't let millions of dollars slip through our fingers because somebody thinks it's a huge sin to buy a lottery ticket," Russ said. "There's a lot of things worse than a lottery ticket."
Aside from the presence of a number of prominent Beaufort County party members in the audience, the lengthy question-and-answer period of the forum opened with a question about the Navy's proposed outlying landing field to be placed in Washington County.
Reaction to the four candidates -- Dan Barrett, a Davie County commissioner and attorney, George Little, a businessman and former state official, N.C. Sen. Fern Shubert and Richard Vinroot, a former Charlotte mayor and 2000 Republican nominee -- was mixed on the OLF issue.
The four, along with N.C. Sen. Patrick Ballantine, former state party chairman Bill Cobey and Timothy Cooke, a textile chemist, are running to succeed Gov. Mike Easley.
Vinroot and Little offered guarded support for the present OLF plan. According to Little, the OLF should be built "unless it provides a threat to the environment or public safety."
Both men indicated they would like more information about the OLF. Little said his first exposure to the OLF as a political issue came at this month's Beaufort County Republican Convention.
Shubert drew applause with her skepticism, saying Gov. Mike Easley should get involved and "not assume bureaucrats got it right."
Barrett expressed a desire to see more evidence from the Navy with consideration of a "balance of interests" on either side of the OLF debate.
Several other hot issues were debated, including sparking the North Carolina economy, immigration, a potential lottery and education.
On the economy, all four sounded similar notes: the need for lower corporate and individual taxes, fewer regulations and a renewed focus on small business as North Carolina's economic development engine.
"The problem isn't as much what government needs to do as what government needs to stop doing," Shubert said.
"When you add it all together, we're number one in the wrong thing -- taxation," Vinroot added.
Little pledged to veto any law that is not pro-business, calling North Carolina "the most unfriendly state in the South (to businesses)."
Vinroot went beyond recommending tax reductions. The hopeful said, as governor, he would work to eliminate corporate taxes for manufacturers.
Although the issue was not presented by moderator and WNCT anchor Alan Hoffman, Barrett spoke against same-sex marriage.
"There will not be same-sex marriages in North Carolina if I'm governor," Barrett said.
The other three candidates followed suit.
All four candidates personally oppose a lottery, but Little and Vinroot said the matter should be put to a referendum.
"I personally believe the lottery to be bad policy, but the people of this state want to vote on it," Little said. "I am not afraid of referendums."
Barrett believes a lottery is unnecessary.
"Give me four years to balance this budget using the same common-sense principles you use, and the lottery won't be nearly as big an issue," he said.
Shubert and Barrett both argued for greater local control of education policy. Shubert went a step further, advocating a strong role for parents and teachers, over administrators.
"I believe the people who know the names of the children know better [what they need] than the people trying to keep a $100,000 salary," she said.
Little, a former president of the National Association of Community College Trustees, specifically addressed the need to fund community colleges. He tied funding for community colleges to economic development.
All four candidates voiced support for school choice, although they differed on the effectiveness of vouchers in providing it. Shubert favors a tuition tax credit to help parents pay for non-public education.
"I like the idea of forcing the system to keep our students through competition," Vinroot said.
Responding to an audience question about illegal immigrants, the candidates split into distinct camps. Barrett and Little both said current laws need stricter enforcement, while Shubert and Vinroot favor toughening immigration laws.
A sizable contingent of Washington and Beaufort County residents was in the audience. Some of them see the OLF as the dominant issue in this year's campaign.
Audience member Doris Morris, of Washington County, said she was alarmed by how uninformed she felt Little and Vinroot were on the issue. Morris said the OLF would probably be the primary issue she considers when voting.
Travis Russ, also of Washington County, took exception to Vinroot's opinion that lotteries are immoral.
"For heaven's sakes, let's don't let millions of dollars slip through our fingers because somebody thinks it's a huge sin to buy a lottery ticket," Russ said. "There's a lot of things worse than a lottery ticket."
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| OLF hearing set for Tuesday | Attempted murder trial continued |
